Moving is expensive... A "to-buy" list

Moving to a new place, let alone a new country, can be scary and overwhelming. I tried to be very organized coming down here by keeping lists and also documenting each step of the process as I prepared for my big move to work for the mouse. As with moving to any new place, you should expect moving to Disney to be a little bit expensive in terms of getting some necessities for your apartment. Some people are simpletons and can survive with some sheets on their bed and some clothes on their back. I am not that person unfortunately, and brought A LOT of stuff with me to Orlando. I had lived on my own (with my boyfriend) prior to accepting this position so I had a lot of things already that I didn't really want to buy since I already had it. I was also blessed because my parents drove me down in their large pickup truck so thankfully I was able to bring a lot of stuff that I otherwise would have had to purchase. I am creating this post to try to prepare you for some of the things you might want to buy when you get down here or if you are driving, try to bring on your own.

Some things you should plan ahead to bring or expect to buy:

~Cleaning supplies - our apartment was disgusting when we first moved in and I couldn't even bear to live in it without cleaning it first. We bought a vacuum ($18 at Walmart), Swiffer, Lysol wipes, glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, bleach spray, garbage bags, etc etc

~Pots & pans - Disney does provided you with some basics but depending on how many people live in your apartment, it may not be enough. My roommate and I ended up purchasing an extra pot & pan set from target that was $20 (it's was a “moving to college” set that was on sale). Disney also doesn’t provide you with any cooking trays (cookie sheets or cake pans or pizza pans) so if you want some of these things you might need to buy them (unless the tenants before you left theirs behind).

~Other kitchen essentials - depending on your needs and life habits, you may way some other kitchen items such as a tea kettle, coffee maker, kitchen utensils (cooking spoons, spatula, chopping knives, etc), cutting boards, Tupperware containers, tea towels, plastic wrap, tin foil, etc etc

~Food - obviously you need it to survive. The first grocery shop will be expensive since you need to buy way more basics than you might need in future shops (ie spices, ketchup, mayo, etc)

~Shower curtain & bath mat - Disney provides you with a dingy little shower curtain but we wanted to spruce up the bathroom so we bought our own with a matching bath mat.

~Towels, hand towels, wash cloths

~Bedding - you will definitely need to buy a mattress topper! The beds we are provided are not too comfy without one. I know they can be expensive ($50-$100) but it's an investment you won’t regret. You will also need to purchase or bring bed sheets and a comforter/warm blankets (apartments can sometimes get chilly at night with the AC on!)

~Space savers/organizers - depending on what type of apartment you have you may find you have to share more space than others. For example, I have to share my bathroom with 3 other people, which means there is limited space for me to keep all my bathroom things out near the bathroom. Therefore, I decided to purchase an $11 plastic 3-drawer organizer to place in my room for my makeup, hair products and other daily essentials. You also are only provided with a dresser in your room that has 6 drawers to share among yourself and your roommate, a night stand with two drawers, and a walk in closet with some shelving space. To help keep my clothes and living space organized, I also decided to buy a hanging closet organizer and brought a shoe rack and laundry basket from home.

~TV - my roommate and I decided to go halfsies on a TV about a month after we got here. We got a smart TV from Walmart for $125. The apartments at Disney have a special internet connections for smart tvs and gaming systems so the internet connection is actually decent. It has Netflix already on the TV and I can connect my external hard drive so now we have LIT movie nights in our bedroom. The apartments at Disney also come with cable but the only connection is in the living room so if we ever want to watch cable we just move it out there.

~Toiletries - my advice would be to save the weight in your suitcase and purchase all new toiletries when you get here. This includes shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothpaste, etc

~Laundry detergent and fabric softener

~Lock - we are proved lockers in our closets, you will want a lock to keep your valuables safe

~Hangers

~Black & white socks - depending on your work location, you will need black and/or black socks that go over the ankle bone. If you work in merchandise or attractions you will only need white socks. If you work I food and beverage, you will need white socks for when you are working on the popcorn cart, and black socks for when you are in the restaurant.

~Shoes for work - if you work in food & bev you are provided shoes, but if you work in attractions or merch you will need to buy your own black shoes

~Command hooks/strips - if you want to decorate the walls in your apartment, you can only do so with command hooks and strips. You will definitely want to spruce up the walls a bit, especially if you get the stark white ones. In my room we have some pictures from home up, twinkle lights, cards from home and other little ornaments. Another thing to consider is that some apartments come with bulletin boards, however unfortunately ours did not.

~Lamp - Eileen and I like "ambient" lighting (as we call it) and hate having the big light in our room on at night while trying to watch tv or relax. So we each bought a lamp for our nightstand tables (both were under $10) so that we could have nice cozy lighting in our room.

If you are planning to request a roommate, I would definitely recommend discussing some of these things before coming down. Eileen and I went shopping together (with the help of my parents) on our first day and split the costs on most things we both wanted for our apartment. In addition to these items, we bought some other decorative items to help spruce up our apartment like a rug for the kitchen and a blanket basket for the living room. I would also suggest discussing how you will split the costs of some of the communal items throughout the year with all of your roommates. You shouldn't be the only one buying toilet paper or garbage bags if everyone is using them. Having a discussion about this at the beginning of your program will make the rest of your year with your roommates go much more smoothly.

If I think of any other necessary items you might want to bring/purchase, I will attempt to update this blog. Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions about moving to Orlando and into the Disney apartments!